January 22, 2018

White Dog and the members of the White Dog Army spent the day going into the bedroom where Stormer rested to nuzzle his face or to lie nearby. Zsofia sat still as could be so he could see he with his good eye in the hopes of providing him reassurance that he was not alone.

Stormer loves the weekends, the times when the entire pack is together and he can hear and sense the routine of everyone interacting and going about the day around him. He lies on cushions and listens to the security and love that surrounds him. He is relaxed and naps easily.

Come Monday morning, however, his demeanor shifts. He gets anxious and cries when he cannot hear us all. His agitation climbs when the front door closes on Steve leaving for work...leaving him. Steve is his anchor; his best bud; his dad. On Monday mornings, I offer little comfort as he whimpers and strains to pick up Steve noises. This sometimes happens on other days of the week but Monday, THIS Monday, was particularly heart wrenching. Stormer cried for almost 4 hours in spite of his pain medications and melatonin. There was nothing physically amiss (vitals and hands on exam were normal) but he WAS working himself into being stressed...not good for an old man with lots of issues.

I called Dr. Julia. She wasn't in but Cindy, her #1 and I talked the issue through.

Cindy agreed that the pain meds can amp up emotions and that Stormer's separation anxiety was not good for his overall health and well-being. It seemed unlikely that his feelings could be redirected behaviorally or that he could be distracted.She took notes about Stormer and our discussion. "Let me talk with Dr. Julia," she said. "I am trying a mild sedative on one of my hyper anxious old guys and I am very happy with it. He is not too drugged. He still participates in the world around him. But he just is calmer. If she agrees, I'll call you back and Steve can pick it up tonight on his way home."

Steve came in with the vial of pills and extensive notes from Cindy on how to balance the dosage up or down as it worked for Stormer. She had told Steve that we should try it until the end of the week and to let Dr. Julia know the effects.  If the Trazadone (another crossover drug from human medicine) wasn't working or we could not balance it, then we would do an exam and prescribe from there.

I stroked my boy's face. "Dad is home now for the night. Be calm. We are going to try something that might just make you less fearful that he is abandoning you when he leaves for work tomorrow. You are loved, sweet one, and will never be left behind or forgotten." He closed his eye and leaned into my hands.

The abandoned ones NEVER forget.